Car-starting device.



v No. 7u,a7s.' Patented Oct. 2|, I902.

F. B. mms. CAR STARTING DEVICE.

(Application filed Feb. 28. 1902.)

(No Model.)

Wx'massas' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. NIMS, OF LAKE ODESSA, MICHIGAN.

CAR-STARTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 71 1,878, dated October 21, 1902.

Application filed February 28, 1902. Serial No. 96,122. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. NIMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake Odessa, in the county of Ionia and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improve ments in Oar-Starting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful device for starting and moving cars on the track; and the invention consists in combining with a metal shoe or slide, which fits upon the top of the rail and is provided with wings extending downward, one on either side of said rail, a lever pivoted to the shoe and adapted to engage with the wheel of a car, and a pivoted eccentric-cam swinging horizontally to engage the shoe or slide with the rail.

The objects of my invention are, first, to construct a very cheap and efficient car-starting device; second, to simplify the construction of car-starting devices; third, to so construct the car-starting device that it will readily adapt itself to rails of varying sizes; fourth, to form an engaging device which will instantaneously grapple the rail and prevent any lost motion. These objects I accomplish by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a rear elevation of my carstarting device as it appears when placed upon a rail. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation. Fig. 3 shows an inverted plan view of the device.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The shoe proper is shown by A, which consists, preferably,of a single piece of cast metal and is provided with two downwardly-projecting wings, (shown by A A.) The shoe A is adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the rail and the wings are adapted to project downwardly, one on either side of the rail. When the shoe is in use, it always rests upon the rail and may be slid forwardly toward the car, but cannot be drawn backwardly for the reasons hereinafter stated. The shoe or body A is provided with two lugs extending upwardly, (shown by D D.) These lugs support the bolt N, which bolt N forms the fulcrum for the lever L. The lever L is constructed in the ordinary manner, the lower end of which is adapted to engage with the car-wheel for the purpose of starting the car.

E E are two lugs extending outwardly and horizontally and are adapted to support the cam or eccentric B and a bolt B. The cam or eccentric B is pivoted, by means of the bolt B, to the lugs E E and swings into the space between the wings A A. A spring S maybe used, if desired, for the purpose of retaining the bolt B from having any movement in the lugs. The engaging face of the cam B may be serrated in order to make a more perfect connection with the rail R.

In Fig. 3 the arrow represents the direction that the shoe is to be moved upon the rail. By placing the shoe A upon the rail and moving it forward in the direction of the arrow the cam B will turn so as to allow the body of the shoe to rest upon the upper surface of the rail, but the first attempt to move the shoe in an opposite direction will cause the cam B to engage with the rail and prevent such backward movement. By my construction the shoe and lever restdirectly upon the surface of the rail. Therefore the same may be moved readily forward upon the rail. By the use of the cam swinging horizontally, as above described, the shoe is not supported above the rail, but will slide upon the rail and is readily and quickly locked or engaged with the rail, so as to prevent backward movement. By this arrangement I am enabled to construct a very strong, light, and durable device for starting cars.

The cam or eccentric B permits the shoe to engage with rails varying considerably in size; but should it be found desirable the construction of the device is such that the eccentrics or cams B may be varied in length, so that the car-starting device can be adapted without any substantial alteration to rails of all sizes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to have invented, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

. 1. As a new article of manufacture a carstarting device composed of a body or shoe adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the rail, a lever pivoted to said shoe, wings extending down on either side of the rail and a cam swinging horizontally to engage with one side of the rail, substantially as described.

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2. In combination with a shoe A provided my hand in presence of two subscribing witwith wings A and A, the lugs E and E, the messes. eccentric B, the bolt B pivoting the. eccen- 1 tric to said lugs E E, a lever L suitably piv- B RANK NIMS' 5 oted to the said shoe, all constructed substan- Witnesses:

tialiy as and for the purposes described. W. J. PERCIVAL, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set i GUY I-I. BOADEN. 

